Buyer/Materials Specialist

Buyer / Materials Specialist

Position Summary

The Buyer / Materials Specialist is responsible for managing day-to-day purchasing activities while maintaining the availability and accuracy of materials needed to support company operations and production. This position will primarily focus on maintenance, repair, operating (MRO) supplies, office supplies, and assigned production materials, with responsibility for determining what, when, and how much to purchase.

This is an active, hands-on role that requires more than transactional purchasing. The successful candidate will take ownership of assigned materials, monitor inventory and supplier performance, identify potential shortages or discrepancies, and work proactively to ensure materials are available when needed.

The Buyer / Materials Specialist will also play an important role in improving the company's purchasing and inventory-control processes. The current materials-management system is continuing to evolve, and this position will be expected to identify opportunities for improvement, ask questions, investigate issues, and work closely with Supply Chain leadership to develop more effective processes.

As part of the role, the individual will cross-train in Materials Technician functions, including material identification and issuance, incoming receiving and qualification activities, and inventory control. This cross-training will provide operational flexibility and a broader understanding of how materials move through the organization. It will also provide a solid background to allow the right candidate a path to raw materials sourcing.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Own day-to-day purchasing activities for MRO supplies, office supplies, operational materials, and assigned production materials from PO placement to delivery.
• Coordinate inbound logistics requirements
• Determine what, when, and how much material to purchase based on inventory levels, usage, production requirements, lead times, supplier performance, and other relevant factors.
• Obtain and evaluate supplier quotations and negotiate pricing, lead times, terms, and other purchasing conditions.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with suppliers.
• Create, issue, and maintain purchase orders. Proactively follow up on late, incomplete, or otherwise problematic orders.
• Assist in supplier performance data

• Identify potential supply disruptions and take proactive action to minimize their impact on production and operations.
• Research alternate sources and purchasing options when appropriate.
• Resolve purchasing, delivery, pricing, and material discrepancies in coordination with suppliers and internal departments.

Inventory & Materials Control

• Take ownership of assigned inventory and maintain appropriate stocking levels to support production and company operations.
• In collaboration with supply chain leadership: monitor inventory levels, usage, lead times, and demand to identify replenishment requirements and potential shortages. Maintain appropriate reorder points, minimum/maximum levels, lead times, and other inventory-planning parameters as assigned.
• Perform routine inventory counts and cycle counts.
• Communicate shortages or issues to the Supervisor quickly
• Assist in 5S tasks within storage and staging areas.

• Help ensure materials are stocked, labeled, and moved correctly inside the facility
• Identify slow-moving items and flag potential issues for review

ERP & Data Management

• Maintain accurate purchasing and inventory-related information within the company's ERP system.
• Review and maintain supplier information, lead times, purchasing parameters, inventory settings, and other relevant material data.
• Identify inaccurate or incomplete ERP data and take appropriate action to correct or escalate issues.
• Support the ongoing development of ERP data and processes related to material planning and procurement.
• Work with Supply Chain leadership to improve the quality and usefulness of purchasing and inventory data.

Materials & Production Support

• Crosstrain in Materials Technician responsibilities to provide backup and operational flexibility.
• Perform or support incoming material receiving and qualification activities.
• Develop an understanding of the company's products, materials, manufacturing processes, and material requirements.
• Properly escalate material constraints or potential production impacts to supply chain leadership

Qualifications

• Previous experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory control, materials management, or a related manufacturing environment preferred
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to independently prioritize work and manage multiple priorites
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with suppliers and internal departments.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and follow issues through to resolution.
• Ability to work comfortably with ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications.
• Willingness and ability to work in a manufacturing environment and spend time on the production floor.

Preferred

• Experience purchasing materials or supplies for a manufacturing organization.
• Experience with MRO purchasing and supplier management.
• Experience with inventory management, cycle counting, and inventory reconciliation.
• Experience establishing or maintaining reorder points, safety stock, minimum/maximum levels, or other inventory-planning parameters.
• Experience negotiating pricing, lead times, or purchasing terms with suppliers.
• Experience working with an ERP system and maintaining item or purchasing data.
• Experience in optics, infrared technology, aerospace, defense, electronics, precision manufacturing, or another technically demanding manufacturing environment.

Personal Qualities

• Improvement minded and confident in questioning existing practices and proposing data driven changes
• Comfortable taking ownership and using sound judgement when systems or processes are imperfect
• Grounded, dependable, and comfortable working close to the production team
• Viewed as a reliable point of contact by suppliers and internal partners

Compliance Statements

Equal Opportunity Employer
 • Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran

ITAR Requirements:
 • This position may include access to information that is subject to U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.